Safeway donates $25,000, food, gift cards to San Bruno fire victims

Company also sent bagged lunches, water to first responders as fires raged following gas pipe explosion

Pleasanton-based Safeway Inc. has announced that its philanthropic arm, The Safeway Foundation, is donating $25,000 to the American Red Cross to help people affected by Thursday's tragic natural gas explosion and fire in San Bruno.

In addition to the financial donation and the ongoing food and supplies being provided by local Safeway stores, the company is giving grocery gift cards to the families who were impacted.

Just hours after the explosion, Safeway stores provided pallets of water, 200 pounds of ice and more than 250 bagged lunches to first responders on the front lines, workers at the emergency operation center at San Bruno City Hall and displaced residents at the temporary shelter set up at the San Bruno City Recreation Center.

The company is also providing a method for community members to aid in this effort. Roughly 80 Safeway stores in the surrounding counties are collecting donations at check stands for the American Red Cross' San Bruno relief effort.